The NTSB and FAA are investigating a runway incursion at Nashville International Airport on Thursday in which an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crew rejected its takeoff at about 130 knots when a Southwest 737-700 crossed the far end of the runway it was using. Both aircraft had been cleared by controllers and the Alaska crew made the decision to hit the brakes, flattening at least two main gear tires. It’s not clear how close the two aircraft got.
“The Alaska aircraft, on its way to Seattle, had received clearance for takeoff from Air Traffic Control,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement. “We’re grateful for the expertise of our pilots who immediately applied the brakes to prevent the incident from escalating.” CNN says this is the 14th NTSB runway incursion involving airliners in the past 20 months.
